On cycling mission to educate people

Sudipto will traverse through hilly terrain

The campaign will impact lives of over 2.5 lakh children  

The journey to a proper education is often  arduous. Traveling around some of the country’s roughest terrains is no less a feat either. Enthused by the mission to take the message of getting education to one and all, Sudipto Pal has become the flag-bearer on a bicycle as he traverses mountains, rivers and forests. Albeit a dangerous expedition, the mountaineer and long-distance cyclist, however, is looking forward to the mission.

 Leaving behind a Kashmir on the boil, the accomplished mountaineer and long-distance cyclist kicked off his 5,000-km-long journey from Srinagar on July 15. Over the next 120 days he will be on a solo cycling mission through the Himalayas until he reaches Walong in Arunachal Pradesh by the end of October. Pal has dedicated his arduous and somewhat perilous journey to raise awareness on children’s education. Throughout his expedition, he will be communicating with communities living in these unfriendly terrains.

While his focus will be particularly on children, Pal will try to understand what stops them from accessing education. The cyclist, who is doubling up as an ambassador for the Child Rights & You, an NGO with nationwide presence, and spread its message of education for all children. His four-month-long solo journey, traversing the Great Himalayan Arc from the west to the east, will help raise awareness about the cause of child education in India.

Before leaving Kolkata for Kashmir, Sudipto talked about his inspiration behind taking up the arduous journey. “My experience in mountaineering and high-altitude cycling for more than 18 years has brought me close to the local people. I learnt during these trips that children residing in these difficult areas are the most vulnerable when it comes to accessing opportunities and entitlements. I’ve interacted with hundreds of children, who could have grown to their full potential, given a chance to access education and other facilities,” he said.

 According to CRY functionaries, the campaign will impact the lives of more than 2.5 lakh children in the age group of 6 to 18 years. Once Sudipto has accessed these communities, most of which are cut off from the mainstream, CRY will set rolling its juggernaut and in the first phase will ensure that nearly 80,000 children in the 11-14 age group do not drop out of school and get a chance to recognise, channelise and develop their abilities to their full potential.

Atindra Nath Das, CRY’s regional director, said, “Thousands of children in India lack access to education and can’t even write their own names. Children between 11 and 14 are particularly vulnerable to dropping out of schools. When a child is able to go to school, it sets off a cycle of positive change. An educated child stays away from an early marriage and is empowered to stand up against exploitation. As children grow, they are able to make better choices for themselves and influence the communities they come from. This transforms their life and ensures a secure future for them.”

 When CRY officials came to know that Sudipto was planning a solo cycling trip through the Himalayas, they realised there would be no better ambassador for the launch of their programme, ‘School the Spark’, a national campaign to address issues related to children’s education.

Speaking on the campaign, Sudipto said that it hardly took him time to decide on reaching out to CRY, and dedicate his trip to their campaign. “Having worked and interacted with children, I always wanted to know if there was any other way I could contribute to the cause. CRY has given me that platform,” he said.

Talking about his association with CRY, he said that every time he travelled to remote locations in India, he dreamt of doing something more for these communities he met on his trips. “Once I decided to embark on the project, I knew my focus would have to be on children who are denied their basic rights and entitlements. Almost at the same time I came to know that CRY would be launching a campaign called School the Spark.”

    Arun Lal, former Indian cricket team member and sports entrepreneur, who flagged off Sudipto’s journey in Kolkata, said, “It’s indeed encouraging to see the youth take action to bring attention to such pressing issues as children’s education.” CRY’s director for resource mobilisation, Anita Bala Sharad, echoed Lal’s thoughts. “Young people like Sudipto are inspirational examples of how passionately the Indian youth can engage with the cause of child rights,” she said.

Sudipto’s 120-day journey will take him through high passes, narrow strips of roads, past deep gorges, torrential streams, tracks crisscrossing rock-fall zones, glacial terrains and dense alpine forests in the Himalayas. While he will also attempt to scale a virgin peak en route, in the last leg of his journey, he will be crossing the valleys of Upper Assam along the Brahmaputra to reach the virgin forests of Arunachal, including stretches that are rarely visited even by mountain trekkers.

Besides Microsoft Corporation, the CRY campaign is supported by Scott Sports India, a leading manufacturer of adventure gear. Jaymin Shah, Scott Sports India’s country manager, said, “We’ve always supported cyclists who undertake cycling expeditions for promotion of a cause which is good and necessary for society. When CRY approached us to support Sudipto in his endeavour, we didn’t think twice to support this superb initiative.”

Armed with training from some of India’s leading adventure sports academies, including the National Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarakhand, Sudipto’s next stop will be in the middle of verdant, yet ice-capped mountains nestled amidst absolute serenity. While CRY has set up a special Facebook page for people to get updates of his journey, Sudipto said before signing off, “These poor, under-clad children are denied access to education, immunisation and proper healthcare. Yet, they carry infectious smiles on their faces and sport twinkling eyes. They were, and still remain, the source of my hidden strength…”